IF they handed out awards for defending from the front, Daizen Maeda would have to free up plenty of space on his mantelpiece.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has already gone as far as to suggest there is currently no player in world football superior to Maeda when it comes to pressing the opposition from an attacking position.
There’s little doubt the Japanese forward has been Celtic’s most eye-catching and effective performer so far this season as they have made a flawless start to the defence of their Premiership title.
Maeda’s apparently indefatigable willingness to chase and harry when out of possession is a quality which is, understandably, highly prized by Rodgers.
There is, of course, much more to Maeda than simply earning comparisons with the Duracell Bunny for his style of play.
Striker Daizen Maeda has already scored six goals for Celtic this season
Manager Brendan Rodgers has hailed Daizen Maeda for his industry
The 26-year-old is currently Celtic’s top scorer with six goals from his eight appearances so far this season with a couple of assists thrown in for good measure.
It’s an area of his game Maeda takes great pride in and he has revealed he is hoping to set new standards on that front between now and the end of the campaign.
‘I think if I keep playing like this, scoring and assisting in every game, the numbers will definitely go beyond what I have done in my previous seasons here,’ he said.
Joining initially on loan in January 2022, Maeda scored eight times in the second half of that season as Celtic won the first of their current run of three consecutive titles.
He grabbed 11 in his first full campaign at the club and then 10 last season as he adapted to the change of management from Ange Postecoglou to Rodgers.
‘The numbers have been few for me,’ added Maeda, ‘and I want to get as many goals as I can.
‘I’m not overly thinking about the numbers in terms of goals or assists because the most important thing for me is contributing to the team winning.
‘But if my numbers go up this season, it would be great. The most important thing, though, is always the team. If the team is playing well, that’s the biggest thing for me.’
Maeda’s career best tally was the 23 goals he hit for previous club Yokohama Marinos in 2021 when he was the joint top scorer in the J-League. He already senses he could be set to emulate that kind of rate for Celtic this season.‘I have a similar feeling compared to when I was playing for Marinos that year,’ said Maeda.
‘Hopefully, I can get as many goals as I can for Celtic this time. There will, of course, be some period in the season when I can’t score. That will definitely come.
Maeda was on target in Celtic's humbling 7-1 European defeat to Borussia Dortmund
‘I have to be patient in those moments and try to get more opportunities to help the team.’
Maeda admits he was irked by being denied another goal during his current rich vein of form when his superbly-finished early effort against St Johnstone in the clash at McDiarmid Park last Saturday evening was disallowed after a VAR review.
Team-mate Auston Trusty was judged to have fouled Graham Carey in the build-up, a ruling which split opinion among the Scottish FA’s key match incidents outcomes panel when they reviewed it.
‘I was frustrated at the time but I got a goal in the end,’ said Maeda, who was outstanding in the 6-0 pummelling of Saints.
‘Now I have the feeling I can score in every game. I can’t really carry the frustration of the goal being cancelled, because I scored another one.’
Maeda is happy to share the load up front for a Celtic squad in which Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah are the only recognised central strikers.
‘I don’t know if my goals take some pressure off the strikers,’ he said. ‘But the other players think the same way as me. They want to help the team. I’m not a player who provides leadership to the team but I do try to lead in how I play. That’s the way I try to take responsibility on the pitch.’
After the chastening experience of their 7-1 Champions League defeat against Borussia Dortmund in Germany on Tuesday night, Celtic return to more palatable domestic fare this afternoon when they take on Ross County in Dingwall.
Daizen Maeda trains ahead of Celtic's Premiership match with Ross County on Sunday
They will look to rack up their seventh consecutive league win since the campaign began, a run that also sees them yet to concede a goal in the Premiership.
Maeda will bid to sign off in style with Celtic before duty calls during an international break in which Japan hope to move closer to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup Finals. They made a perfect start last month, routing China 7-0 and Bahrain 5-0, and are fancied to maintain their momentum when they play Saudi Arabia in Jeddah next Thursday and then Australia in Saitama the following Tuesday.
Maeda, who scored his fourth goal for his country in the win over China, is keen to add to his 19 caps as he eyes the prospect of representing them on the biggest stage of all for a second time.
He was one of Japan’s top performers in Qatar two years ago, helping them reach the last 16 where he scored in the 1-1 draw against Croatia before losing a penalty shoot-out.
‘If I look at my career, playing in the World Cup Finals again would be amazing,’ said Maeda.
‘It’s all going to be down to how I play at club level. I need to do my best at Celtic in every single game.
‘After that, playing for Japan is my main focus.
‘Can this squad qualify for the World Cup? Definitely.’